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Friday, November 2, 2018

Dear Friends,I hope you had a good Halloween! Mine was quiet, which is nice. I have a dachshund video to share with you today. It's a little longer (about 6 minutes) but especially fun and I think you will enjoy it. It is an Animal Planet video about a dachshund mother named Tina. Tina is a wiener racing champion who has a litter of puppies. The puppies include Rollo and Pickle. You get to see them grow in the video.I especially like seeing the young puppies try on hot dog costumes ... and I am very grateful that no one has ever put me into one of these costumes!Please do not blame me if this video makes you want a dachshund puppy! (Of course, I am a big fan of dachshund rescue, and there are some wonderful young dachshunds available in rescue groups.)I would love to hear from you in the comments, below. Have a great weekend!Love,Abby xoxoxo

Book SynopsisA sweeping family saga and love story that offers a vivid and
unique portrayal of life in war-torn 1941 Bucharest and life behind the
Iron Curtain during the Soviet Union occupation—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah’s Key.

On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on
the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest. With Romania recently
allied with the Nazis, the Jewish population is in grave danger,
undergoing increasingly violent persecution. The girl is placed in an
orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name
her Natalia. As she assimilates into her new life, she all but forgets
the parents who were forced to leave her behind. They are even further
from her mind when Romania falls under Soviet occupation.

Yet, as Natalia comes of age in a bleak and hopeless world, traces of
her identity pierce the surface of her everyday life, leading gradually
to a discovery that will change her destiny. She has a secret crush on
Victor, an intense young man who as an impoverished student befriended
her family long ago. Years later, when Natalia is in her early twenties
and working at a warehouse packing fruit, she and Victor, now an
important official in the Communist regime, cross paths again. This time
they are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles
swirling around them and Victor’s dark secrets.

When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor
is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia
must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved
adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance
to finally live life on her own terms, and to confront the painful
enigma of her past.

Purchase Links

My Review

The Girl They Left Behind tells the story of a little Jewish girl left behind in Bucharest, Romania, when her parents fled the violence and anti-semitism of the city in 1941. The little girl, Natalia, is placed in an orphanage and adopted by a loving couple named Despina and Anton.

Things change for the family when Romania falls into Soviet occupation. Natalia eventually ends up working with a family friend, Victor, whom she falls in love with. Change comes again as she makes the decision to escape or stay with Victor and her parents.

I love historical fiction and found this novel so compelling. It is based on the true life story of the author's mother, and that made the book even more interesting for me.

I knew very little about Romania and life under Soviet rule after World War II, so I felt I learned a lot of historical details in this novel.

The story is lovingly told with beautiful descriptions of the city, the family, and most of all Natalia. The characterizations are well developed. I cared about Natalia, what happened to her, and I really liked her parents as well.

An example of the lovely storytelling in this book comes when Natalia and her mother find some cherry trees and pick cherries to bake a tart for Anton's fiftieth birthday:

"In an instant, Natalia caught up and looped her arm tightly through her mother's. She rested her head on her shoulder, and they walked like that for a while, lost in their thoughts, passing the dancing shadows on the sidewalk to the next street, where more cherries lay scattered on the ground, ready for picking. The summer sky embraced them, so blue, the color of hope. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her feel thankful. Thankful, indeed, that she still had her family and that at the very least, her family would enjoy some splendid pastries" (p. 243).

The Girl They Left Behind is such a unique and moving book. I highly recommend it to other fans of historical fiction.

Author Bio

Roxanne Veletzos was born in Bucharest, Romania and moved to
California with her family as a young teen. Already fluent in English
and French, she began writing short stories about growing up in her
native Eastern Europe, at first as a cathartic experience as she
transitioned to a new culture, then simply to pursue what had become an
unrelenting passion. She has worked as an editor, content writer, and
marketing manager for a number of Fortune 500 companies and has been
writing fiction since 2012. Her first novel, THE GIRL THEY LEFT BEHIND,
is based on her family’s true story.

Connect with Roxanne

Giveaway

One lucky reader will win a copy of The Girl They Left Behind. This giveaway is open to readers in the U.S. and Canada. The giveaway will end at midnight on November 9. Winner will be notified by email and needs to respond within 48 hours or another name will be drawn. The author or her publicist will mail the book to the winner.

About Me

Trish is a long-time online seller who loves all things vintage, but especially vintage children's books and ephemera. In other lives, worked as a bookstore manager and preschool teacher. Always pursuing vintage treasures, great reads, interesting words, and happiness.